The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel cover

The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel

by W. L. Bloch

"The Library of Babel is arguably Jorge Luis Borges' best known story. Now, in The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel, William Goldbloom Bloch takes readers on a fascinating tour of the mathematical ideas hidden within one of the' classic works of modern literature. Bloch begins each chapter with a mathematical idea - combinatorics, topology, geometry, information theory - followed by examples and illustrations that put flesh on the theoretical bones. In this way, he provides many insights into Borges' Library."--Book jacket.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?